The Pittsburgh Steelers exist in a perpetual state of contention. Under Mike Tomlin’s tutelage, they’ve won one Super Bowl, two AFC championships, and five AFC North titles. They also have a bunch of playoff appearances—they’ve made the postseason in each of the past four seasons—and have finished with a sub-.500 record precisely zero times. I’ve heard people accuse Pittsburgh of having the most entitled, spoiled fanbase in the universe, and while I’d first remind them that Boston still exists, I’m wont to agree: things are pretty good in these here parts.
With the very notable exception of Ryan Shazier, the 2018 Steelers will return the core components of a roster that finished 13-3 and, for the most part, looked every bit the Super Bowl frontrunner they were expected to be in 2017—the offense was characteristically prolific, the defense—particularly the secondary—showed flashes of fleeting but encouraging brilliance, and Chris Boswell, who the Steelers picked off the top of a pile to replace the dreaded Josh Scobee [A flaming Hellpit opens in my apartment’s kitchen, swallowing the dishwasher whole; the room is enveloped by cries of the damned.